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C. E. GREENE. COMPOSITION OF MATTER POE GOLD COLLECTING PLATES.

No. 597,113. Patented Jan. 11,1898.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rrrcn.

CHARLES E. GREENE, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOLD MAGNET AND MINING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMPOSITION OF MATTER FOR GOLD-COLLECTING PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 597,113, dated January 11, 1898.

Application filed December 24, 1896. Serial No. 616,830. ($pecimens.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it knownthat 1, CHARLES E. GREENE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode lslanchhavc invented Improvements in Composition of Matter for Gold-Collecting Plates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention relates to a new and improved metallic composition, the same having the property or characteristic of collecting and holding particles or atoms of gold on its surface.

In gold-mining operations, especially in gold placer-mining, the auriferous sand is, as a rule, of the kind termed low grade, the separation of the gold therefrom being effected in various ways. The usual method, however, is to employ sluiccs, in or on which are located riiiles or pockets which arrest more or less of the larger particles or pieces of gold, the, carried by the sand and water passing along the sluiceway. The pockets are sometimes charged with quicksilver. This metal, as is well known, possesses an aifinity or attraction for gold. Therefore its function when thus used is to arrest and retain the smaller particles of gold. One of the disadvantages to the successful employment of quicksilver is that its exposed surface soon becomes oxidized, as it were, or covered with a skin or thin coating having more or less tenacity. As this skin has no especial affinity for gold, the finer particles, in a float, dust, or powder form, in passing over said skin are not arrested and absorbed by the quicksilver. Consequently such fine or float material flows into the refuse dump or railings and becomes lost. The larger pieces or particles of the gold are, however, collected in'the mass of quicksilver by reason of the superior weight of the gold, because they break through the thin skin covering the quicksilver and sink into it. p

I am aware that amalgamated plates, as

stood that the unbroken film of amalgam (composed largely of quicksilver) is utilized to separate and arrest more or less of the finer particles of gold fiowin g over its surface with the sand and water, as before stated. In practice these plates have to be renewed frequently owing to the abrading action of the sand. This wearing'action operates not only to materially increase the cost of maintenance, but the percentage of gold collected or extracted is much less than it would he were the plates surfaces kept in the normal condition.

The object I have in view is to produce an improved gold-collecting plate, the same possessing much greater efficiency in separating and collecting gold from auriferous sand or disintegrated ore than amalgamated plates or other goldextracting processes heretofore employed,

To that end my invention consists, essentially, in combining certain metallic substances or elements to produce a new composition of matter. It also consists in the method. or process of combining said elements; ,and it consists, finally, in combining said composition of matter with a suitable base, thereby increasing the strength of the plate, all as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed-that is to say, in my improved composition of matter forming the gold collecting plate referred to I employ zinc, quicksilver, and metallic sodium in such proportions as preferred. These elements may be prepared and combined substantially as follows: The desired amount of the metallic sodium (usually kept in oil to exclude air and moisture) is first taken out and rolled or pressed on absorbent paper for the purpose of entracting'all, or nearly all, traces of the oil, after which the thus treated sodium is introduced into the mass of quicksilver, the

of 100 Fahrenheit, the mixture meanwhilev being stirred or agitated until the resulting gases formed at the top are ignited, thereby, as it were, fusing or uniting the molecules of the quicksilver into a more liquid state, the result of the union being to neutralize the tendency of the quicksilver to separate and assume globular forms. This binary compound in cooling thickens to the consistency of paste. Into a suitable vessel or ladle containing the desired quantity of zinc in a molten stateI now gradually add to the zinc, after the latter has been allowed to cool some what, the proper quantity of the previouslyprepared quicksilver, meanwhile stirring the composition so as to thoroughly incorporate the elements composing it. While in this state the mixture is in proper condition to bepoured into the mold.

In preparing to cast the composition to produce the gold-collecting plate I first properly place a base-plate, preferably of iron, in the mold, which latter, too, I prefer to make of iron, and then heat the whole, after which the previously-described composition or ternary compound. is poured from the ladle into the mold. After being cooled the thus cast composition is removed from the flask and is then ready to be mounted for use.

I may state that I prefer to make. the stiff fening, or base plate above referred to of iron or steel galvanized with zinc, the same being provided with a series of holes or pins or other equivalent means by which the plate is rigidly secured or united to the composition during the process of casting the collecting-plate.- The latter may be made as thick asdesired and as large in area as practicable. In order to produce a large collecting-plate, several ofthe smaller ones, or units, maybe secured by bolts, screws, or clamps to a suitable bed or table. This latter may have a flat or curved surface, as may be preferred. XVhen thus made, the entire surface presents an area or face possessing a strong aflinity or attraction for gold, platinum, &c., the baser metals being uninfluenced by the attractive properties of the composition. In my invention the said stiffening member or base also serves to prevent the quicksilver in the gold-collecting plate from becoming intimately or actively combined therewith, or, in other Words, the base-plate operates to some extent as a reactionary element to the quicksilver.

By means of the composition forming the subject of this invention I am enabled to produce a gold-collecting plate having its working surface continuously lubricated. By the term lubricate used in this connection I mean that'the exposed surface is covered with a moist or greasy film, which isdue to the presence of the quicksilver. This film, however, possesses active properties and is in no sense like the non-active or oxidized film or skin before referred to which forms upon the surface of a mass of quicksilver when exposed to the air and incapable of having an affinity for gold in a float or powdered state.

I may further add that since the quicksilver is thoroughly incorporated throughout the mass of composition forming the collecting plate the maximum efficiency of the latter is maintained during the entire life of itthat is, until it is practically Worn down to the iron base. It may be observed that such wearing away of the collecting-plate is occasioned by the continued flowing over its surface of the water and sand and particles of ore containing the gold to be extracted.

When the collecting-plates have become loaded with gold to a certain extent, as may be determined by the judgment of the person in charge, the sand and foreign matter are next removed by washing, &c., after which the gold adhering to them is cleaned off in any suitable manner, as by means of a brush. The gold thus collected is practically uncombined with other material. Therefore it can be treated or reduced at a comparatively small cost.

While I do not desire to limit or restrict I the proportions of. the elements entering into the composition of the gold-collecting-plates, as they may be varied to suit difierent conditions, I find that as a rule the following proportions give the best results-that is to say, I employfour parts,bryweight, of zinc 1 toone part of quicksilver, a small amount of metallic sodium being added to the quicksilver for the purpose of neutralizing that property of thelatter which causes it to assume globular forms, the whole being combined and cast, substantially as before described.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings I have represented certain forms of my goldcollecting plates.

Figure l is aperspective view of the plate, having a flat working surface. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional View showing the working orgold-collecting surface provided with a series of ribs or ri-ffles. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the iron base-plate detached. Fig. i is a sectional view showing the base-plate completely surrounded or enveloped by' the composition forming the gold-collectingplate.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a curved plate. Fig. 6 is an end View of a circular-shaped 3 plate, and Fig. 7 isa side View of the same in partial section.

In the drawings, a designates the gold-col- I lecting plate as a whole, b the molded composition hereinbefore described, and c the galvanized base or strengthening plate rigidly adhering to the part1). The member 0 may have holes 0 formed therein, asin Fig. 3, or it may be provided with headed pins c,.as' shown in Fig. 2'. By this means the molten composition when poured into a mold containing the plate 0 is cast onto the latter, thereby, as it were, practically uniting them lectin g plates.

together. In Fig. 4 the plate is located centrally of the composition 7). As thus constructed it is evident that after the upper portion of the plate Ct has been worn away it may be inverted and the under side thereof brought into use. If desired, the plate a may extend beyond the part b, as shown at m in Figs. and 7, thereby adapting the gold-collecting member a to be readily secured to any suitable holder or table.

In an application for Letters Patent filed by me in the United States Patent Office October 21, 1896, Serial No. 609,507, I have shown and described a gold-mining machine or apparatus well adapted to employ my gold-col- In said application, however, I make no specific claim to the plates.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent-- 1. The herein described composition of matter for gold-collecting plates composed essentially of zinc, quicksilver and metallic sodium, combined in a molten state and consolidated when cold, as distinguished from amalgam plates in which successive coatings or washes of mercury composition in a soft or plastic state is applied to the surfaces of the plates.

As a new composition of matter, a compound consisting of quicksilver and a small quantity of sodium added thereto to prevent the quicksilver from separating into balls or globules, thus formingan amalgam, combined with an amount of zinc equal to about four times the weight of said amalgam, the whole being fused together and forming when cast a hard and solid composition capable of attracting or having an affinity for gold, substantially as hereinbefore described.

8. The combination with the composition hereinbefore described, composed essentially of zinc, quicksilver and sodium, of a base or strengthening plate united to said composition while the latter is in a molten state, the resulting product forming a hard and solid homogeneous gold-collecting plate, the exposed surface of said composition possessing an equal affinity for atoms of gold throughout its mass, substantially as set forth.

4-. The process of producing the gold-collectin g plate hereinbefore described, the same consisting in thoroughly incorporating into a mass of molten zinc a compound composed of quicksilver and sodium, then pouring the mixture into a heated mold containing a piece of galvanized metal, thereby Welding or uniting the composition to the plate, and finally cooling and removing the casting from the mold.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a cast metallic gold-collecting plate having quicksilver fused into the composition and incorporated throughout its mass, substantially as hereinbefore described, whereby the working surface of the plate is kept continuously in a moist or lubricated state, as distinguished from the usual amalgam plates or even porous plates charged with quicksilver.

6. The gold-collecting plate hereinbefore described, the same consisting of a composition of zinc, quicksilver and sodium, combined when in a molten state, but which becomes hard and solid when cold and a suitable backing or strengthening plate, as c, united or otherwise secured to said composition, said plate itself possessing little or no affinity for the quicksilver.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. GREENE.

- Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, REMINGTON SHERMAN. 

